David Allen of Music City Auction conducts the auction as GAC’s Nan Kelley displays a “Johnny Cash” guitar during ReTune Nashville’s anniversary celebration, which raised $35,000. / SUBMITTED

Written by

Flood of 2010: One Year Later

When floodwaters burst down the doors of her West Nashville home on May 2, 2010, Alana Rocklin rushed to move her bass guitars to higher ground. But her amplifiers — the ones she used for tours with Nanci Griffith, Jeff Coffin and others — became anchors in 4 feet of water.

That same morning in Bellevue, Andy Zimmerman of Nashville reggae-rockers The Running sat on his girlfriend’s roof and watched as his car became submerged, with his drums and other band gear still packed inside from the previous night’s gig.

Rocklin, Zimmerman and hundreds of other musicians didn’t just lose prized possessions in the flood. They were potentially losing jobs.

“If you don’t have those tools, there’s nothing you can do,” Rocklin said. “You can be a great player, but if you don’t have what you need, you’re not going to be able to do the job.”

One year later, Rocklin and Zimmerman are back onstage with brand new gear, thanks to the generous efforts of some inspired local organizations — and a city that recognizes music making as a livelihood.

The Recording Academy’s MusiCares organization established a flood relief fund, raising approximately $1 million and providing 400 grants to musicians in need. The Nashville Musicians Association, Nashville’s musicians union, established its own fund and received more than $100,000 in donations. It has distributed checks to 105 local musicians.

Dave Pomeroy, president of the NMA and a renowned local bassist, said the union was “in a unique position to try to identify people who’d been hurt.” In the immediate wake of the flood, donations came in from other union chapters, individuals and organizations from around the world. Instrument and equipment manufacturers dropped off guitars, speakers and cables to be donated at the NMA offices.

“I think everybody that didn’t get nailed really had that feeling of, ‘There but for the grace of God go I,’ ” Pomeroy said. “There was a real feeling of, ‘I’m going to help you, because I really believe you would do this for me.’ ”

A strong sense of community among the city’s bass players drove Nashville musician Sean O’Bryan Smith to found Low Notes for Nashville. Calling on an international “brotherhood” of bassists as well as instrument retailers and manufacturers, the group donated nearly $50,000 in money and gear to the NMA and MusiCares relief efforts. That included two new speaker cabinets for Rocklin.

“It got to be very rewarding when you meet up with somebody and just hand them a bass,” Smith said, “and they’re wondering, ‘OK, how much is this? Do you need it back when I’m done?’ All we’d ever say is, ‘Nope. This is yours. Go back to work, and take care of your family.’ ”

Axes get new life

There were also painstaking efforts to bring flood-damaged instruments back to life. After floodwaters overtook Soundcheck Nashville — the city’s largest music storage and rehearsal space — a team of guitar technicians started working to restore the thousands of damaged instruments. Technician Ed Beaver placed waterlogged guitars on a self-made steel drying rack, with fans pointing at them for weeks. He saw many instrument owners forced to cut their losses.

“Guitars, to people, are like children,” Beaver said. “It’s something that they have to nurture and take care of. They grow together. A lot of people had to let go of their kids.”

But some of these losses found new life. Through the NASH2O initiative, stars such as Keith Urban, Vince Gill and Peter Frampton auctioned off their flood-damaged instruments, raising $80,000 for the MusiCares and NMA funds as well as the Fireman’s Fund National Philanthropic Program.

Damaged instruments with less-famous owners were turned into unique pieces of visual art and furniture through ReTune Nashville, a nonprofit founded by local photographer Sheri O’Neal. ReTune’s team of 70-plus visual artists assembled quickly and enthusiastically, she said.

“They felt like they were helping not only some random person out there, but people they were connected to. I think as a Nashvillian, you’re connected to music, whether you want to be or not.”

ReTune auctioned off pieces at a flood anniversary event earlier this month, raising $35,000 for the MusiCares and NMA funds. Zimmerman and The Running saw their damaged speakers turned into chairs. Zimmerman joked that he was tempted to take them for himself, but he and his band got an even better gift at a ReTune event in October: a brand new drum kit and a $1,000 Guitar Center gift certificate from MusiCares. The Running — who talked of breaking up after their losses — are re-equipped and playing gigs regularly.

“It’s incredible to me,” Zimmerman said. “The number of people that lost homes and necessities, and on top of that, we’re still going to give to musicians? It was amazing. No other place on earth would have organizations like this pop up.”